Category: KPOP

[Review] Savior – Kim Sung Kyu (Infinite)

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Time to jump back to last week, with the next review focusing on Kim Sung Kyu’s solo comeback, Savior. Savior is the title track off Kim Sung Kyu’s fourth mini-album which shares the same name. This is Kim Sung Kyu’s first release following last year’s departure from Woolim Entertainment, him signing on with Double H TNE, and the release of HUSH and Won’t Forget You. He is also due to continue his domestic tour of South Korea, which began earlier this month in Seoul.

To me, Savior is a throwback to Kim Sung Kyu’s past solo work. If you were to put his past solo releases side by side with this latest one, this one would blend right in. And I quite like the idea of that. While I am a strong advocate for artists to change their music style once in a while, Kim Sung Kyu is one of those acts that I am happy to stay within the rock realm, simply because he will explore different areas of the genre each time he releases new music. This time around, Savior is a mid-tempo pop rock sound that has stunning potential. I find the pop rock instrumental to just extremely satisfying. The mix of ethereal synths alongside the rock gives Savior that potential I mentioned. I also find that Savior doesn’t overwhelm nor overpower, which is why I like Kim Sung Kyu’s music so much. He knows how to make his vocals standout, and he ensures the rock backing (no matter what style he is diving into) assists with this. I do think the instrumental can go slightly bolder in some parts, just to give Savior some oomph, but what we got is another case of ‘good enough’. As I have touched on already, Kim Sung Kyu’s vocals are amazing throughout the song. There is a warm and comforting feeling to his vocals. This might just be the nostalgia speaking, but I find this tone to work well with the lyrics of the song. I also like the power he adds to his vocals during the chorus, which helps makes the piece more riveting. The ‘Ooh Wa Ah Ah~‘ was quite catchy. I also really like the heavenly touch the falsetto gives Savior at the very end. Overall, Savior is a great single to return to the industry with for Kim Sung Kyu, and I am definitely looking forward to more work from the soloist into the future (and a potential Infinite reunion, please!).

I quite liked the artistic yet simple nature of the music video. It doesn’t overcomplicate or clash with the song, which is just perfect. It is all shot in a studio, but the scenes all look much more than just a studio. To me, each scene (whether it was the boat scene or with the band) went beyond the boundaries of the studio, and this made it looks effortlessly stunning to watch. In particular, I feel like the video touched on that ethereal description I had for the synths in the song. Whoever produced and/or directed this video did an amazing job. I do have to say some of Kim Sung Kyu outfits though looked a bit awkward. But apart from that, its a great video.

Song – 9/10
Music Video – 9/10
Overall Rating – 9/10

[Review] BLOOM – Yoon Ji Sung

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Another solo comeback that occurred during the week was Yoon Ji Sung, who returns to the stage with the single BLOOM and his third mini-album, MIRO. This is Yoon Ji Sung’s first comeback in a year, following Love Song. This is also his first release under a new entertainment company, DG Entertainment.

BLOOM is a sweet and pleasant song, consisting of a city-pop instrumental. It is not the knockout track that Yoon Ji Sung needs in his solo work, but it suffices. There wasn’t a second whilst listening to the song since its release did I find it boring, which actually surprised me, given that I find BLOOM to be one of those that are consistent from start to end (and I tend to find that a bit draining). However, time will tell if that statement holds true or not. What I like about BLOOM is how dreamy everything felt. Yoon Ji Sung’s vocals were extremely pleasant and definitely captivated me. The melodies were smooth, peaceful and soothing to listen to. And I liked how the instrumental doesn’t overpower. Even when the guitar solo moment came into play, it all balanced out. Sure, the song could have used a bit more of something, just to give it a bit more uniqueness (but not lose its sweet and pleasant charms). Maybe this something could have been in the bridge, as that was where I felt the least pull. But what BLOOM ended up giving us is quite nice and enjoyable.

As the name suggests and the season in which South Korea is currently in (i.e. Spring), it is expected that the flowers would make some sort of presence in this music video. Well, we ended up getting a heavy presence of them. They definitely made the video pretty to watch. The colours of the flowers and the green leaves really popped out in this video, with all other colours appearing pale in comparison. Other than that, this video isn’t my cup of tea. But it worked well with the song.

The choreography for this comeback was good. But I felt that they tried to jam a lot into the routine, which I didn’t think was necessary for this track. The choreography should have been more graceful. Also, it looked a bit awkward with Yoon Ji Sung dancing alone, whilst the dancers were paired off. I wished they had another dancer to pair with Yoon Ji Sung, just so that the performance looks a little natural.

Song – 8/10
Music Video – 7/10
Performance – 7/10
Overall Rating – 7.5/10

[Review] C.I.T.T (Cheese In The Trap) – Moonbyul (Mamamoo)

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I am jumping around today with my reviews this weekend to focus on solo artists who have released songs over the last few weeks that I have yet to cover on my blog. First up is actually a release from this week. Moonbyul is back with a new single, C.I.T.T (Cheese In The Trap). This is a pretty quick comeback for the solo artist, given that Moonbyul just release a mini-album earlier this year, headlined by the title track LUNATIC. But I am not complaining!

C.I.T.T doesn’t give me much to complain about, anyway. I am a big fan of upbeat tracks, in general. Extra points are given if the song makes me smile. And C.I.T.T fits the bill perfectly, fulfilling both criteria that I had outlined just now. C.I.T.T has this strong and satisfying pop rock sound that energises you as you listen to the song. Its undoubtedly fun, playful, bright and catchy. I am of the opinion that more could have been done to make the instrumental a bit more exciting and unique, but it works extremely well as it is presented to us. What makes C.I.T.T even more enjoyable is Moonbyul herself. The song plays towards her strengths in both the vocals and rapping departments, My favourite part of the song is the pre-chorus, with the raspy nature of her vocals perfectly highlighted for the ramping up sequence of the song. Her vocals in the chorus and second half of the bridge are also great moments. The melodies and hooks were catchy enough to make the song memorable and addictive. I can definitely see myself returning to C.I.T.T, which is the highest compliment that anyone can pay a song.

In this video, Moonbyul is a student who wants to experience love. Everyone around her is getting confessions, flowers or are in a relationship. She turns to a tape that teaches her how to put the ‘cheese in the trap’, which in this case is code for ‘make someone fall in love with her’ (i.e. trap them). But instead of following the tape itself, Moonbyul decides to embrace her true self to find that someone, instead of following some cheesy instructions from a tape. She would be more comfortable and this will be attractive to many people! Aside from the cute storyline, I really liked all the different looks that Moonbyul donned throughout the video. From the typical school student look to the punkish rock star at the end, she definitely showcased multiple sides of herself, which is fun and appealing.

I liked how the choreography embodied the fun side of the song. Nothing stood out, but it was a great routine that matched the energy of the song well.

Song – 9/10
Music Video – 9/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 8.8/10

[Review] Undercover – VERIVERY

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Quick comebacks do not happen often (not counting pre-releases, as we are usually given a heads up to the bigger releases that would follow shortly), but they do occur from time to time. And the most recent group to attempt this feat is VERIVERY. Just a month ago, the group dropped their digital single O, which I described as ‘a solid track from start to end’. No one was aware that the song would ultimately serve as a side track on the album that would drop after a months time. Fast forward to earlier this week, the group returned with their first studio length album, Series ‘O’ Round 3: Whole, and the title track Undercover.

If Undercover and O were compared to side by side, O would emerge as the superior song. My thoughts on the earlier track have already been documented in its own review. In regards to Undercover, it is considerably underwhelming. Personally, I think the start of the song and the first verse was just fine. The preachy sample that kicked off Undercover was intriguing. But the verse was quite plain, and plain is never a great impression to start off with. But I have heard songs recover from such starts. Unfortunately Undercover doesn’t do this and just proceeds to the chorus without any acceleration, ramp up or intense building of any sort. Within the chorus itself, there wasn’t any memorable synths, hooks or melodies that would have made Undercover engaging for me. And then the cycle continues onto the second verse and chorus. It is not until the bridge does Undercover gets interesting thanks to the guitar work. There was some guitar work with potential in the verses/chorus to begin with, but they didn’t really make much of a statement until the bridge. From the bridge onwards, the guitars definitely added an oomph factor (however, subtle though) to the song, which I would emphasis as much needed. The guitar work continues on, and paired with the bass ended up being quite appealing to me. The deep vocals and the rapping that follows closes out Undercover was miles away in terms of strength and memorability to what the song’s centrepiece was. Overall, Undercover was quite lacking for majority of its body and needed something dynamic to spruce up the song. As result, it underwhelmed.

Unlike the O video, I might have a bit of an idea of what is going on in the video (but I am not entirely too confident about my interpretation). The Get Away music video introduced the idea that there were alternative versions of each member. And from the ending of Get Away, the alternate versions take over their identities in the ‘real world’. In TRIGGER, the group we see are the main character are the version of the group that died in the previous video. They are tormented by a different version of themselves, but end up escaping after the circular building collapses (which opens this video). In this video, the members escape and go on the offense, by seeking their alternative selves (that took their lives in Get Away), defeating them and restoring the balance between the two worlds (based on the barrier between the two sides at the end of the video). That is my best guess to what is going on in this universe of different worlds, though I am unsure how O fits into the video. Maybe that can be an investigation for a future Music Video Theory series.

The stage performance helps makes the song feel a lot more dynamic. This is a good definitely a good thing, as without it, the entire comeback would have become lacking. While the routine is good, there just wasn’t much within it that was memorable.

Song – 6.5/10
Music Video – 7/10
Performance – 7/10
Overall Rating – 6.8/10

[Review] LOVE – MONSTA X

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MONSTA X made their official comeback to the stage yesterday with a new song and mini-album. Titled LOVE and Shape of Love respectively, it is the first time we are seeing the group (sans Shonwu, who is currently serving his military enlistment) since November of last year through their Rush Hour comeback. This comeback also follows KIHYUN’s solo debut with VOYAGER which occurred last month. The comeback was originally scheduled for earlier in April, but was postponed by two weeks due to COVID-19. But the members have since recovered and are ready to crush the stage with LOVE.

MONSTA X’s affinity to EDM in the past for their title tracks has made it synonymous with the group’s sound. I quite liked this aggressive, powerful and intense side of the group, even when others didn’t. LOVE steps away from that reliance on EDM and re-enters old school R&B and hip-hop territory. Despite how I started this section of the review, I must say that there is definitely nothing wrong with this sound profile as MONSTA X expertly executes and showcases the two sides of song really well. What I quite enjoy about LOVE is how within the instrumental, the two sides of the song were distinct and clearly identifiable. But what really glued the song together were the vocals, which blurred the boundaries a bit (i.e. hip-hop melodies in the R&B instrumental territory and vice versa). It is an interesting blend, and one that MONSTA X pulls off successfully. I also like the colourful nature of the instrumental, from the brass that literally felt oozy to the punchy synths. For me, the standout member for this comeback was Jooheon. His vocals and rapping worked so well on both sides of LOVE, and I quite liked how energetic and upbeat he was throughout the song. Definitely made it captivating. His growls were very alluring and hit at the right moments. The other members did excellent in the song, as well. In terms of weaknesses, LOVE should have stronger hooks that were more defined and memorable. What we got just didn’t really feel enough for this song, and there was moments where they could have gone further. But overall, LOVE was a nice departure from their usual sound.

Visually, MONSTA X shows off two sides of themselves in this video. The first is a more casual side, and the second is a more elegant side. Both were captivating to watch, but the elegant side was a lot more alluring. Though I might be bias due to that cool stage set and the gold on black colour palette that made everything feel so expensive. I guess that might say something about my taste. The glittery closeups of Hyunwon and Kihyun also may have played a part. I also liked how the video acknowledges that MONSTA X is a six-member male group even though they are promoting as a five member group at the moment. At the very end of the video, we see six microphones, with the sixth microphone corresponding to Shownu (who is currently enlisting as already mentioned). What a warm way to end off the video.

The choreography felt extremely fitting for this song, with the choreography’s intensity feeling just right. I also enjoyed the bounce the choreography had, particularly in Hyungwon’s part in the bridge. Some other observations I had whilst watching the stage performance includes wanting better utilization of I.M’s cane (its adds a classy touch, but felt under used) and that Minhyuk’s visuals were so good.

Song – 8.5/10
Music Video – 8.5/10
Performance – 9/10
Overall Rating – 8.6/10

[Review] Cupid – DKZ

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Apologies once again for the break I took this week. Work took a lot of energy out of me again. But I am back this weekend with reviews for you all. Starting off this weekend of reviews (and more!) is DKZ’s Cupid, which was released on 12 April 2022. For those who might think DKZ is a new group, they are not! DKZ is actually DONGKIZ, originally a five member male group from Dongpyo Entertainment which debuted back in 2018. Earlier this year, it was announced the group would under go a rebranding from DONGKIZ to DKZ. It was also announced that member Wondae would depart from the group due to health reasons, and the group would be reformed into a seven member group with the addition of 3 new members. The release of Cupid also follows the success of Jaechan’s acting in Semantic Error. This is also my first review for the group since their 2020 comeback Beautiful.

The reason to why I picked up Cupid for my first review after almost a week’s absence is because I have been thoroughly enjoying Cupid this week. I remember upon its initial release that I found Cupid to be lively and upbeat. And while that still remains to be the case, Cupid has definitely snowballed for me since then. Cupid had grown into an exciting, fun and playful track that is super catchy and definitely worth every replay I have given it. The melodies and the song’s main hook (i.e. ‘Forget me, Want to me, Bounce on me‘) are definitely elements of Cupid that have been keyed into my mind (just ignore the poor of English in this song). The brassy pop instrumental has a nice punch to it when it gets to the chorus, which helps makes Cupid super energetic and gives the chorus a chance to really pop out from the standard verses. I also like how shouty the members get in the second half of the chorus, which undoubtedly complements the energy driven nature of the chorus. In addition to the shouty delivery, I liked the vocalists in choruses, as they give Cupid a really abrasive texture with their scratchy voices which contrasts with the rest of the song and also gives oomph to the song. My favourite bit has to be the ending, when Jaechan shouts ‘Encore‘ and the same instrumental that backs the choruses comes into play for a final round. There is just something about this section that just stands out even though it is just a repeat sequence. Overall, I can see why a lot more people are attracted to Cupid.

The music video is pretty standard, but it offers a fun and lighthearted story that works well with the song. (despite it also being cringy at the same time). Essentially, DKZ operates a business that searches for others’ loved ones (similar to how Cupid connect people together). They get a few random clients at the start, but nothing really interests them. However, when a mysterious female character steps in and asks the group to search for a person, they all jump on board and accept her as a client. She hands them a bunch of pictures of this person’s features, which the members start using as clues to find this person. Well, it turns out they weren’t searching for one person, but rather than seven persons (i.e. themselves), as each image corresponded to each member. In the end, the members were rounded up by the mysterious female character who actually is the police and the guys go to prison. A bit of a reach towards the end, but hey, the video is meant to be comical and not taken serious. Other than the plot, I really like colourfulness of the video, which help boosted the vibrancy of both the visuals and the song.

Like the song and music video, I would say this choreography is fun. My favourite bits was during the chorus, when the music was intense and their moves matched said intensity. I did wish the final sequence of instrumental (following ‘Encore‘) was more freestyle, as that would made the routine a bit more exciting. But overall, a fair effort.

Song – 8.5/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 7.5/10
Overall Rating – 8.2/10

[Review] Flower – Park Bom ft. Kim Min Seok (MeloMance)

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Once again, I am travelling back in time to a few weeks back for the next review. Making her comeback on 11 March was Park Bom, with the single Flower. It features Kim Min Seok, who is part of the duo MeloMance, and has been trending recently for his remake single Drunken Confession (originally released by Feel in 2005). This is the first time I am covering Park Bom on the blog since her 2019 release 4:44, which featured Wheein from Mamamoo. However, she has had a few releases since then that I didn’t review, including First Snow (with Sandara Park) and Do Re Mi Fa La Sol (with Changmo).

Following her track record of recent solo singles, it comes as no surprise as Flower opts for for the ballad genre, as well. But while ballads are in huge abundance in the KPOP scene, Flower manages to stand out as a stunning piece that I find quite indulging. It starts off with a simple piano backdrop (with a brief hint of strings). It isn’t anything amazing instrumentally, but the repetitiveness of the piano was rather striking in its own way. The simplicity of the background also allows for Park Bom’s unique vocals and tone to take centre-stage, and she sounds amazing in her solo verse. For the chorus, strings are added to the background and Park Bom’s vocals build in a manner that makes the chorus stilling and gripping. Kim Minseok, the other half of the Flower collaboration, takes over the second verse and chorus, and adds a hint of smoothness to Flower that was missing from Park Bom’s section. Here, Flower‘s instrumental also stands building, developing the simple piano instrumental into an orchestral piece. Despite that, I really liked how Kim Min Seok’s nasally tone pierces through and manages to stay on top of the developments underneath it. The pair comes together for the bridge and final chorus, with Park Bom leading the vocals and Kim Min Seok handling the ad-libs. I quite liked they weren’t forced to harmonise for majority of this section, and were instead allowed to focus on their own strengths and complement each other at the same time. A clear balance was achieved. We did get one line at the very end of the Flower in which the pair does sing together, closing out the song with the expected union of the two. It also felt fitting to keep this moment until the last second, based on the breakup of sections for each singer preceding it. The instrumental became dramatic (in an orchestral sense), peaking alongside the singers and helped really drive momentum in Flower. Overall, a captivating listen that salsifies my personal craving for a rousing ballad.

The music video was also quite striking. The grayscale filter really helped set the serious tone of the video. I also quite liked the location. It felt very different from your usual setting for a ballad, but the producers really knew how to use the space to help emphasise the dramatic side of the song. As for the ‘content’ of the video, Flower‘s music video can be split into two halves. One half of the video features both Park Bom and Kim Min Seok in their closeup shots, singing their sections of the song. Even though they would be consider ‘solo shots’, some of the wide shots showed the pair were in somewhat close proximity with one another, allowing Kim Min Seok to walk over to bring the pair ‘together’ for the song’s final moments. The other half of the video features two interpretative dancers, with the female dancer intertwined with Park Bom’s solo moments and the male dancer intertwined with Kim Min Seok’s solo moments. And like the singers who came together in the final moments, so did the dancers.

Song – 10/10
Music Video – 9/10
Overall Rating – 9.6/10

[Album Review] THE SECOND STEP: CHAPTER ONE (1st Mini Album) – TREASURE

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I have finally moved onto albums from February! Hooray! (That being said, I don’t have time to write up studio album reviews over this weekend, so there might be one or two from January coming in the next few weeks). Anyhow, first up in the start of the post-January album reviews is TREASURE with their first mini-album, THE SECOND STEP: CHAPTER ONE. It is the group’s first album release in over a year (their last being MY TREASURE from January 2021) and features the title track JIKJIN. Three additional side tracks are featured on the album as well, making it a shorter mini-album with four songs in total.

Overall, a fair mini-album from TREASURE. It seems like the title track focused more on the hype energy that is synonymous with YG Entertainment’s release, while the side tracks focused more on the vocals and softer side of TREASURE. Both show potential and promise for the group, and definitely has me wanting more from the group in the future.

THE SECOND STEP: CHAPTER ONE Album Cover

1. JIKJIN (직진) (Title Track) – Click here for the full review of JIKJIN. (9/10)

2. U – U starts off with a piano melody and sounds like a soft track from the beginning. But U emerges as a groovy track from the first chorus. Both sides of the song stay from then on, creating a neat pop track that is fun and showcases the group’s vocals. With the chorus, I liked the short and sharp guitar riffs that brings the groovy/funky nature of U to life. I also liked the slight glitchiness we get ahead of the final chorus, which helps keeps the song interesting (and not repetitive) in its final moments. (8/10)

3. DARARI (다라리) – As far as I am aware, DARARI is supposed to get its own music video and that it has been shot already. But it appears that it hasn’t been released just yet. Hopefully, we don’t have wait long for said music video. Anyhow, DARARI is an extremely pleasant upbeat R&B track that has very catchy and memorable hooks. I like how everything rolls off so smoothly in this song, and how easy on the ears it is. Again, the group’s vocals are on display in this song, and they sounds really solid throughout DARARI. (9/10)

4. IT’S OKAY (괜찮아질 거야) – Final track on this short mini-album is a ballad. I guess YG albums aren’t immune from having the mandatory ballad (quite sure I have used this joke somewhere before). My impression of IT’S OKAY is that it is pleasant. For a mellow guitar-driven ballad like this, this is a good impression. The vocal work is nice, and I liked how they added definition via backing vocals and harmonies in the chorus. The ad-libs at the end showcased their abilities really well. Also, the way they incorporated the rappers felt logical and fitting for this mellow style. (8/10)

Overall Album Rating – 8.5/10

THE SECOND STEP: CHAPTER ONE / JIKJIN Teaser Image

[Album Review] Devil (2nd Mini Album) – Max Changmin (TVXQ)

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Max Changmin made his return as a solo artist earlier this year in January with his second solo mini-album, Devil. It features the title track of the same name, two pre-release tracks (Fever and Maniac) that I had previously reviewed in a double review format, and three additional side tracks. It is his first Korean solo release since Chocolate (name of both title track and his first mini-album) back in 2020. Devil is the focus of this album review.

Devil is such a dynamic album. It starts off intense and extremely aesthetic. As the mini-album progresses, it slows down a bit, but still maintains that dynamic nature. It isn’t until the final song does the mini-album slow down considerably. Nonetheless, this mini-album is a strong one and this expected from such a legendary artist that is Max Changmin. Do you agree with me? Let me know in the comments below.

Devil Album Cover

1. Devil (Title Track) – Click here for the full review for Devil. (9.5/10)

2. Maniac – Click here for the full review of Maniac. (10/10)

3. Fever – Click here for the full review for Fever. (10/10)

4. Alien – Alien features a groovy Latin instrumentation that I thought was quite neat. What really impresses me the most in Alien is Max Changmin’s vocals. It didn’t take long for Max Changmin and Alien to win me over. He ultilises both his high and low ranges in this song extremely well, and the entire track comes off smooth. The ending changes up the dynamics of Alien, by featuring a high pitched autotune backing vocals. It is interesting and gave off a unique effect to the song. (10/10)

5. Dirty Dancing – The instrumentation for Dirty Dancing is quite interesting. It also plays into the Latin sound. But instead of just being Latin influences, Dirty Dancing adds bass and synths to make Dirty Dancing a bit modern and robust. The bass in Dirty Dancing allows the beat to really come to life, whilst also making it powerful in a subtle manner. Max Changmin provides solid vocals for this song, and the hooks was super catchy. Another strong track from the solo artist. (9/10)

6. Airplane Mode – Final song on the mini-album is Airplane Mode, and it is the album’s most mellow track. It is so much softer compared to the previous tracks, and it is a nice way to ease out of an intense mini-album like this one. It also feels quite refreshing. I really liked the laid-back manner of the instrumentation, and the soft and delicate nature of Max Changmin’s vocals. It is quite a warm and lovely song. (8/10)

Overall Album Rating – 9.4/10

Devil Teaser image

[Review] X-Ray – GHOST9

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One last review for this week before I head off for the long weekend (Happy Easter to those who celebrate!). For this review, I have decided to bounce back in time to last week to review GHOST9’s X-Ray, which dropped last Thursday. It is the title track off the group’s sixth mini-album, Arcade: V and is also the group’s first comeback since the release of Control in November of last year.

When I consider the verses of X-Ray, the song is pretty much your standard dance track. Nothing more, nothing less. I wished the instrumental hit harder, as the song’s intention of being powerful and heavy just doesn’t hit the mark for me. While there are some productions that excel at this style, there is a large majority of releases that tend to fall into the ‘typical’ pile of this style and doesn’t 100% deliver. And X-Ray‘s verses falls into the latter pile. However, X-Ray has its chorus to thank for disrupting this typicalness, inserting a refreshing element and taking it in a different direction. The chorus features Junhyung (standout member alert!) delivering his line at a higher tone, which offsets the intended heaviness of the song. The melody was also quite memorable. Had the instrumental been a bit more innovative (it is fine as it is, just it lacks some sort of punch that potentially could have taken the song to the next level), X-Ray‘s main centrepiece would have been aesthetic as heck. But it is still a standout moment in this song. I like how the song’s main hook’s melody was repeated in a chanty form at the end, which finishes off X-Ray in a neat yet revamped manner, but also keeping it close to its foundations. Elsewhere, the vocal work and rapping were fine. Though, I felt they could have gone harder to infuse and give off more energy, intensity and power. This would have been a big help to X-Ray.

Most of the music video also felt typical. The settings chosen by the producers for the video had that (i.e. the abandoned room, the hallways, the outside of the building scenes) were staged to look edgy, but I necessarily didn’t get that vibe from those scenes. However, the grayscale scenes and some of the editing of the music video (i.e. transitions) looked really cool and had a level of visual aesthetic that was memorable. I particuarly enjoyed the grayscale closeup that focused on hair colour instead. That was the most promising aspect of this video.

I liked the performance’s ‘snap & release’ moves that featured heavily in the chorus. It looked good, and definitely showcased the song in much stronger light. But other that, it was a good performance, but with little else standing out.

Song – 7.5/10
Music Video – 7/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 7.5/10

[Review] MAISON – Dreamcatcher

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Dream Catcher also made their comeback earlier this week with MAISON and their second studio length album, Apocalypse: Save Us. MAISON follows the release of July 2021’s BEcause and the special mini-album, Summer Holiday.

MAISON is Dreamcatcher’s most electrifying title track yet. Right off the bat, the song brings in a electronic guitar riff that definitely promises great things. This keeps MAISON within Dreamcatcher’s niche of rock influence title tracks, as synths are shortly brought in and infused with the electronic guitar to create a dynamic and powerful backing piece. I liked the balance shared between the two sound profiles during the verses, but I was left disappointed with how the balance was continued into the chorus. As it stand, I find it incredibly hard to pinpoint the end of the verse and start of the chorus for MAISON, no matter how listens I have given it. It just sounds too alike. I wish one profile (either the rock or the synths) popped out more during the chorus in an intensified manner, This would have really helped give the chorus more definition and not have it blend in with the verse. At this stage, I have decided the section that contains the ‘Save my home in the …‘ to be the chorus, as it is MAISON‘s main hook and it is very catchy. For a brief moment, MAISON does take a breather from the intensity by inserting a melodic piano piece and I quite like how this climbed in intensity to return the song to its original mix of rock and synths. I also liked how they inserted that choir backing in the final chorus, for an additional dynamic touch. As for Dreamcatcher’s vocals and rapping, both were solid throughout and showcased intensity that complemented the powerful nature of the instrumental. MAISON is another strong song under the group’s wing, but does need a bit of refinement in its production.

The entire video was shot in front of the green screen. Not entirely sure how I feel about this. Usually, the green screen is applied to the background of a built set (especially for the choreography shots), and I think MAISON should have gone down this route. But this style isn’t that bad. It just feels overly artificial when it didn’t have to be. MAISON “sends a message to those who shamelessly destroy the environment in this current state of the earth, which is gradually losing its original state due to the actions of humankind” (taken from SOOMPI) and you could see this message in this music video, as it shows the world in an apocalyptic state. It also affects their world, which appears heavenly and beautiful in one scene, but broken and destroyed in the next.

I quite enjoyed how powerful the performance looked. This might appear to be an obvious statement as the performance matches the music and it reflects well, given Dreamcatcher’s past stages. But I found the group to be super charismatic on the stage whilst performing this track. Their moves, formations and transitions were strong, and it left a strong impression on me.

Song – 8/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 9/10
Overall Rating – 8.2/10

[Review] DICE – ONEW (SHINee)

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After another brief absence, I am back and coming to you with more reviews. This review focuses on the second comeback that occurred on Monday. The track in question is DICE and belongs to SHINee’s leader ONEW, who is returning to the music scene as a solo artist for the first time since 2018. He debuted as a solo artist in 2018 with the single BLUE and mini-album Voice. Since then, ONEW completed his mandatory military enlistment and last year returned as part of SHINee through Don’t Call Me and Atlantis. He also resumed his acting and musical careers, whilst also releasing a few collaborative singles and solo OSTs.

DICE is a retro city pop track that is extremely pleasant. For those who have been reading my blog knows that the word ‘pleasant’ can either be a good or bad thing. With DICE, the use of the term is a bit ambiguous. The pleasantness of DICE makes it palatable and balanced. But at the same time, however, the pleasantness is a bit of a disappointment, as I expected the song to kick it up a notch along the way. But it never did. ONEW sounds really good in this song, with smooth vocals bringing life to DICE. It was silky and the flow from one end of the song to the other just felt flawless. The retro influence on the instrumental gave DICE a very nice subtle groovy touch, whilst also being rhythmic. For the final chorus, I liked the leadup and that refinement when it came to the mini explosions in the instrumental. There were some smooth hooks and I can see the song growing on me even more as I continue to replay the song. But whilst DICE comes off as a great song, it ultimately lacks oomph. There is definitely potential for DICE to really have a bit more meat to it in both the instrumental and vocals department. It didn’t have to just be pleasant. We all know how good ONEW’s vocals are, as evident through the many hits SHINee have provided us. And we all know how good city pop songs can be if the instrumental was just a tad bulkier or bolder. Overall, DICE is promising and a nice return for ONEW, but it definitely felt like more could have been done.

The music video features ONEW as the main character, who notices the female character from afar. But she is soon kidnapped by these pale green masked people and ONEW goes in pursuit to find her. At the start, you can tell that ONEW is a bit scared and timid when going into the hotel and following the path of green gloop. But as he roles the dice, he becomes more comfortable and relaxed in his surroundings (though there are parts of him that is still scared and timid). He notices some unusual practices in the hotel including injecting lemons with some mysterious substance (that seems to be the life source of these masked people) and the use of chainsaws throughout the hotel. He later finds the female character, who has dealt with the masked people herself (i.e. ending their lives with high heels), and she runs away with ONEW in a happily ever after type of ending. I thought it was a neat video, with a small plot twist and creepy factor, all rolled into one.

The performance felt pleasant as well, which works well the version of the song that we got. But it is bit plain and looked loose. Had DICE had what I felt was lacking from it, and the choreography was intensified and made to look sharper and tighter, this would have been a smashing performance piece.

Song – 8/10
Performance – 9/10
Performance – 7.5/10
Overall Rating – 8.2/10

[Review] Anthem of Teen Spirit – EPEX

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A new week means new comebacks. And starting off this week is EPEX, with Anthem of Teen Spirit. This is the title of the group’s latest comeback and the title track of the group’s third mini-album, Prelude of Anxiety Chapter 1. ’21st Century Boys’. Anthem of Teen Spirit comes after the group’s debut with Lock Down and Do 4 Me comeback, all of which occurred last year.

Anthem of Teen Spirit has all the hallmarks for a standard intense dance track. The key word in that statement is ‘standard’. Unfortunately, for the most part Anthem of Teen Spirit was pretty generic. You have to get through the first verse and first half of the first run of the chorus to get to anything worth talking about. And since this was the case, Anthem of Teen Spirit was a bit bland from the start. The opening verse didn’t have much going on, and the first half of the chorus has that stock standard shouty nature to make the song seem edgy. The hooks here are pretty shoddy here, as well (i.e. ‘Click, Clack, Brrr, Like‘). The instrumentals were also pretty generic and doesn’t score points for innovation. However, Anthem of Teen Spirit takes a turn from the second half of the chorus onwards. The ‘Brom pom pom‘ caught my attention for fully encapsulating that intended intense nature of the song within a span of two seconds. Highly effective, if you ask me. It doesn’t make up for the start, but it is a sign that Anthem of Teen Spirit is heading the right direction. The chorus is then followed up with some really fast rapping that left me impressed. Powerful rapping also featured in the bridge, and my impressed thoughts extended to the bridge as well. I also like how the instrumental intensifies in the bridge as well, creating a nice and satisfying peak to the song. Overall, the generic nature of Anthem of Teen Spirit outweighs the positive aspects of the song. But it does get better as it progresses along.

My thoughts on the music video also follow a similar pattern. The video is dark, suitable for an edgy sound. But this one is just dark. You are pretty much thrown into this world without any context. Some of the members are being hunted by other members, but for an unknown reason. My best guess is that this whole video is based on a fight between two members. But it is unclear. Ambiguity is good in some case, but not when it leaves question marks throughout the whole video about what is going on. I also question the dance set with the diamond fixture, but with a more curious demeanour. Its intriguing and could be a symbol that represents one side of the members. But once again, it is unclear. However, it does look cool.

The choreography portion of this comeback fairs the best. I liked how powerful and intense the stage looked, and it also helped translate to a better listening experience. The moves during the ‘Brom pom pom‘ hook was cool and best part of the performance.

Song – 6.5/10
Music Video – 6/10
Performance – 7.5/10
Overall Rating – 6.6/10

[Album Review] 6equence (2nd Mini Album) – Moonbyul (Mamamoo)

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The final album review for this weekend is for Moonbyul. Mamamoo’s rapper returned as a solo artist back in January with the title track LUNATIC. This follows two pre-releases in December 2021, G999 (ft. Mirani) and Shutdown (ft. Seori), both of which are featured on the 6equence mini-album as well. In addition to the title track and pre-releases (per usual, you can find the links to their respective reviews in the body of the album review), there are two more side tracks, an introductory track and the English version of her title track (not factored into the final album rating).

6equence definitely shows Moonbyul’s range. She goes from a fun title track to very emotional and heavy ballads. I would love to hear Moonbyul explore more and attempt different styles, given that her parts in Mamamoo’s songs tend to be quite limited (however, that has changed more over time after she gained more confidence in her vocals). Continue reading to find out my thoughts on her side tracks and more!

6equence Album Cover

1. Intro: Synopsis – Starting off the mini-album is an intro track titled Synopsis. It is a smooth R&B track that exudes a sensual and alluring atmosphere. The long instrumental segments of this song tell me that Synopsis would be more of a performance piece (Spoiler: it definitely was a captivating one, based on a performance I found at her solo concert from earlier in the year, capturing the smooth and sensual descriptions I just mentioned). We do get some vocals, and they work well with the instrumentation. (8/10)

2. G999 (ft. Mirani) – Click here for the full review for G999. (8.5/10)

3. Shutdown (머리에서 발끝까지) (ft. Seori) – Click here for the full review for Shutdown. (9/10)

4. LUNATIC (Title Track) – Click here for the full review for LUNATIC. (8/10)

5. For Me (너만 들었으면 좋겠다) – For Me enters R&B ballad territory. The instrumental features straight forward acoustic guitar and simple percussion. Sometimes simplicity is just enough, and this song proves just that. The simple nature of For Me also allows the focus to be placed squarely on Moonbyul’s vocals. You can tell just from her tone (and of the instrumentation) that For Me is an emotionally loaded song, and the melodies make For Me quite riveting. A strong song, ‘for me’. (8/10)

6. Ddu Ddu Ddu (내가 뭘 어쩌겠니?) – Ddu Ddu Ddu adds a slight kick to it that puts the song into mid-tempo waters, thanks to its band instrumentation. But that doesn’t really change much else, as Ddu Ddu Ddu continues the emotionally loaded direction of the album. And Moonbyul’s vocals a definitely top notch here. I find the band instrumental to be more up Moonbyul’s alley, as it enables for a smoother transition into rapping and Ddu Ddu Ddu’s style definitely fits her vocal tones. (9/10)

7. LUNATIC (English Version) – Refer to my full review of LUNATIC linked above.

Overall Album Rating – 8.4/10

6equence / LUNATIC Teaser Image

[Album Review] IN:VITE U (12th Mini Album) – PENTAGON

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The next album review belongs to PENTAGON and their 12th mini-album since debut, IN:VITE U. This one also dropped in January (although I am now making a start on albums released at the end of January, which mean I am slowly catching up on the backlog of albums I want to review. Just ever so slightly, however.). IN:VITE U features the title track Feelin’ Like and five additional side tracks.

After finishing writing this album review, my summary comment is that I am very impressed with IN:VITE U. The quality of songs on this mini-album was well above average. But that shouldn’t come as a surprise, given that I have previously enjoyed PENTAGON’s albums in the past (We:th springs to mind instantly). There are two 10/10 songs on this album, along with a slight alteration to the title track’s original song rating that I gave in the full review. Keep on reading below to find out which songs earned the perfect rating.

IN:VITE Album Cover

1. Feelin’ Like (Title Track) – Feelin’ Like has grown on me since its release considerably. I have decided that I shall revisit this song in the future to update my review. In the meanwhile, I have decided to bump the song rating for Feelin’ Like to a 8/10. Click here for the full review for Feelin’ Like. (8/10)

2. One Shot (한탕) – One Shot delves into alternative rock that actually comes off as quite sleek. I can imagine a cool and modern (because it is PENTAGON) cowboy style music video for this song. I quite liked the energy that comes from One Shot, especially during the chorus where the energy become quite relentless and subtly intense. Their vocals were quite clean throughout the One Shot, as well. But the scene-stealer moments of the song have to the ‘Are you ready?’ that starts off the song; is present at the start of the chorus and in the bridge; and merged into the background at the end of the song. Definitely pulled out the sleekness that I mentioned earlier. (10/10)

3. The Game – The Game kicks off with an opera one-liner, courtesy of Jinho. Right off the bat, this makes The Game super unique and intriguing to listen to. It doesn’t stay an opera piece, however, as The Game develops into an epic sounding dance track that thrives on intensity from both rock and EDM synths. What I appreciate about The Game is that opera influence isn’t lost. It re-incorporated into the song for the second verse. Overall, The Game is another standout track from this mini-album, and one (as a whole) that left a strong impression on me. (PS. Would love to see a live performance for this track, as well.) (10/10)

4. Call My Name – Call My Name goes for bolder vocals (shouty at times, but I don’t mind that) that are extremely clear and clean. It is layered over funky instrumentation that also makes Call My Name a highlight on this mini-album. Electric guitars also played an important part in this song, giving it some cool twang and emphasises that funky sound. I also liked how catchy the song was, despite how straight-forward the repetitive hook was. (9/10)

5. Sparkling Night (관람차) – Sparkling Night tones down the energy a notch, going for a (relatively) softer approach with its instrumentation. It is a synth pop track that has a melodic touch, both of which helps create and exudes a dreamy atmosphere. The hooks a bit more generic in this track, but they had a nostalgic vibe to them that helps make Sparkling Night an appealing listen nonetheless. (8/10)

6. Bad – An acoustic ballad closes out the album. The music doesn’t necessarily hint towards this, but the song is actually an emotional one. Again, the vocals are extremely clear and clean throughout this song, and the acoustic instrumentation is rather straight forward. It doesn’t score any innovative points. But what I did enjoy was that Bad still had an upbeatness to it, which I think makes it fitting for this album (i.e. after such songs that had intensity and strong energy, the album didn’t end with an overly slow and typical song). The balladry nature still was a nice way to finish off the album. (7.5/10)

Overall Album Rating – 8.8/10

IN:VITE U / Feelin’ Like Teaser Image

[Album Review] Restore (1st Mini Album) – JinJin & Rocky (ASTRO)

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The next album review covered this weekend is Restore, the debut mini-album for ASTRO’s newest subunit, JinJin & Rocky. Restore, which is another album that dropped in January, features the title track Just Breath and four side tracks, three of which are solo tracks from the two members (one for JinJin and two for Rocky). The remaining side track is another single from the pair.

Compared to the other subunit under ASTRO (i.e. Moonbin & Sanha, who also recently came back), JinJin & Rocky have a very different and unique vibe that is more fun and bright. It comes as no surprise, given their witty and funny personalities and a title track that is as fun and outrageous. Let me know if you agree with my thoughts below and the summary of the album I just gave!

Restore Album Cover

1. Just Breath (숨 좀 쉬자) (Title Track) – Click here for the full review for Just Breath. (9/10)

2. Lazy (ft. Choi Yoojung (Weki Meki)) – Lazy is JinJin’s solo songs on this mini-album, and it features Weki Meki member Yoojung. Lazy is a fairly simple song, consisting of a consistent piano and hip-hop based instrumental that comes off as lighthearted and fun. This lightheartedness and fun vibe is important in Lazy, offsetting the repetitive nature of the song. JinJin’s rapping is a bit heavy with the autotune, but is balanced out with Yoojung’s higher pitch vocals. Overall, a fair effort. (7/10)

3. Lock Down – Lock Down is my pick for best side track on this album. It is extremely dynamic, thanks to the bass and funky rock guitar that is present in the song. It almost felt like a stomping effect – quite effective in grabbing one’s attention. Both JinJin and Rocky showcased power in this song in their own way. JinJin obviously did it with rapping, while Rocky showed power through his vocals. I liked how both peaked at the end of the song, giving the song a strong ending that was unforgettable! (10/10)

4. Complete Me – Rocky’s first solo song comes in the form of Complete Me. Complete Me is quite a textured hip-hop dance song, with textures coming from both the instrumentation and vocals. It might be overwhelming for some (it did at first for me!), but repeat listens have helped lessen it. Now, I find Complete Me to be quite robust. Since Complete Me is a dance track and the textures gives it interesting potential, the song probably lends well as a performance piece, which is something that is definitely up Rocky’s wheelhouse. (8/10)

5. CPR – CPR is the second solo song from Rocky, and it also closes out the mini-album. It is a pop ballad that explores more of Rocky’s vocals. I liked the energy, passion and power Rocky puts behind his vocals for this song. I was thoroughly impressed with him in CPR, especially when it came to the ad-libs and high notes that we got. I want to hear more of Rocky like this in ASTRO’s work, as he has proven himself to be a capable vocalist. I also enjoyed the 90s instrumentation that CPR had in the background. Not spectacular, but definitely nice. (9/10)

Overall Album Rating – 8.6/10

JinJin Teaser Image for Restore
Rocky Teaser Image for Restore